An Open Secret
by Kasienda
Summary: Adrien whirled around toward Marinette. She smiled at him. He couldn't smile back. He stared at her. Something shifted in her expression. And her warm open Marinette smile transformed into Ladybug's grin. He knew Ladybug's name! And he couldn't say anything! Not to Marinette! Not even to Plagg. A fic where they both know, but can't openly talk about it.
1. A Revelation

A/N: Written for the ML Secret Santa Gift Exchange for the lovely ladybuginettes! I may have been stalking their Tumblr blog for the last few weeks trying to get a sense of what they liked in addition to the notes I started with, and loving so much of it that I panicked that I might be giving myself away with how much I was liking their posts! So, I really hope that you, ladybuginettes, enjoy this fic beginning to end.

Special thanks to my sister for always making sure my miraculous characters stay in character and for her nitpicking feedback that forces me to bring out the details, to FloraOne for her high level feedback that helps me add in the human moments to my overarching plot, and to TinaCentury for her grammar expertise! I still don't really know how to use commas, but I'm working on it! These ladies always help my work become the best version of itself, but this is the first time I had all three sets of eyes looking at one work! Apparently, fic takes a village!

**Title: An Open Secret**

**Chapter 1: A Revelation**

Adrien had never understood his relationship with Marinette, but after knowing her for two years, the dynamic was comfortable. He had no explanation for her tendency to make word soup or sounds of astonishment in his presence, and _only_ his presence as far as he could tell. It was easy to be patient with her when her antics made him feel warm. He had long ago stopped feeling awkward around her sometimes strange behavior. And as a bonus, Adrien had gotten amazingly skilled at deciphering whatever she was saying, maybe even better than Alya at this point. He secretly coveted the moments when he caught her off guard because her eyes would get so big and they were the loveliest shade of blue - the same shade as the sky on a cloudless day.

So even though he didn't understand it, he considered her to be one of his closest friends. He relied on their dynamic; he treasured it. She was one of the most consistent sources of inspiration for his smiles, and she often gave him a warm fuzzy feeling. She made him feel like he had come home. He didn't even feel that way when he went to his actual home.

But that week, something had shifted, and that adorable stuttering Marinette that he counted on for those warm squishy feelings every day vanished overnight. And some doppelgänger Marinette had taken her place. That Monday, she had walked in and said good morning as smoothly as a pebble polished over centuries of crashing waves, her eyes dancing in amusement rather than panicked nerves. Then she had winked at him and walked away with a little sway in her hips. _Winked_!

Even her tendency to trip over her own feet had disappeared, and he found himself missing his encounters with her stumbling down the stairs or the moments when his or her papers scattered to the floor like confetti after an unexpected collision. He no longer had an excuse to catch her or help her up. How else was he supposed to touch her without invading her personal space?

Instead, she offered eyerolls, smirks, and finger guns. Actual _finger guns!_ He had no idea what to think! On a few occasions, her eyes seemed to convey entire paragraphs of information - willing, begging him to understand. He couldn't interpret any of it. Her behavior felt familiar, _so_ familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was like struggling to remember a vivid dream that evaporated upon waking like a drop of water on a hot desert stone.

The sudden shift in their interactions left Adrien feeling uncertain and off balance. In class, he could feel her gaze on the back of his neck, and it was all he could do to stop himself from spinning in his seat to consider the new enigma she had become. During breaks and passing periods, his eyes always found her, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus.

Today, he was supposed to be helping the class decorate the school courtyard for the Christmas season. He, Rose, Mylene, Nino, and Alya had been assigned to the railings along the stairs and second floor. Rose stood on the ladder above him, pinning up strings of lights and paper streamers, and he was supposed to be handing her the adhesives whenever she needed them. But his attention was on the girl wearing twin pigtails across the courtyard with a clipboard in her hand directing others in their mission of creating a more festive learning environment.

A sharp flick to his ear tore him from his thoughts.

"Ow!"

"Pay attention, Sunshine!" Alya scolded. "Rose has called you like _three_ times!"

"She has?" he repeated dumbly, looking up apologetically at the girl above him on the ladder. "I'm sorry, Rose. I don't know where my head is today."

"It's okay," Rose assured. And then she giggled. "It looks like your head is over there with Marinette!"

Alya smirked, and his cheeks burned at the observation.

He resolved to stay focused, dutifully and mindlessly handing Rose and the others whatever they needed _when_ they needed it. Thirty minutes later, they had the whole railing and wall behind the stairs decked out in shiny glittery red, green, and gold decor, and Adrien had long ago mastered the ability to carry out instructions mindlessly while his brain continued to ponder the girl who sat behind him in class.

He didn't notice the ball that Kim had thrown had hit the ladder. He didn't notice the ladder rocking precariously back and forth, and he didn't notice that the hinge was slipping upward instead of staying in its locked down position.

He _did_ hear Marinette scream his name.

"Adrien! The pen!"

Several things clicked in that moment, and time seemed to slow down as if he were in an akuma battle. The ladder was collapsing, and Rose was going to fall. He was on the wrong side of the ladder to catch her. Adrien's eyes flew to the pen in Alya's hand as she and Nino looked on in horror.

He grabbed the pen and wedged it into the ladder's hinge, as he kicked the ladder's base, causing it to tip in the other direction toward him. Rose lost her balance and fell right into his arms with a startled squeak.

"Oh my god! You're the best, Adrien!" Juleka exclaimed, already prying her girlfriend from his arms almost the second she had landed there.

Everyone in the courtyard had started clapping at the unlikely rescue.

"Adrien!" Alya gushed, even as she high-fived him. "That was amazing!"

"It was Marinette's idea," Adrien deflected, his hand rubbing absently at the back of his neck.

"Adrien! I'm so glad you were there. I couldn't get there in time," Marinette said with a relieved smile.

"Anytime, Mari," he said with a grin, offering his fist.

She met it with one of her own and a pleased smirk before she walked away and went back to directing their peers now that the disaster had been averted.

"_Dude_! That was some quick thinking!" Nino praised from behind his shoulder.

Adrien shrugged. "It was Marinette's plan. I just executed it."

"What _plan_?! She literally said two words!"

Adrien shrugged. It was just like he always understood Ladybug's extravagant plans from very few context clues. But of course, he couldn't tell Nino that he had had a lot of practice understanding Ladybug.

The thought was like being struck by lightning.

He whirled around toward Marinette. She smiled at him.

He couldn't smile back. He stared at her like the dumb blond model that he was often accused of being. Everything this week had felt so _familiar_, so _right_, because it _was_. His jaw was on the floor, and his eyes were open as wide as saucers. He couldn't have strung two words together at that point, which was just as well because it probably would have said the wrong thing and ruined both their identities, and she'd be pissed at him for all of eternity.

Something shifted in her expression. And her warm open Marinette smile transformed into Ladybug's grin. He was looking at _Ladybug_ right now.

In her civilian clothes.

That she made herself, no less!

He knew Ladybug's _name_!

How many times had he seen that _exact_ expression? The upturn of just one side of her lips, one cheek slightly puffed out, her eyes dancing in amusement at whatever dumb joke he had just told?

A calm washed over him as the shock and panic receded, replaced by a tranquil certainty. Really, who else could Ladybug have been? It was so obvious; he couldn't understand how he had never seen it before. And it wasn't something he could unsee or unlearn.

Their eyes met. They locked gazes, and she nodded. She had already figured it out. Approximately a week ago, judging by when nervous Marinette had disappeared.

"Dude!" Nino prodded, poking him in the shoulder. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah," Adrien managed, tearing his eyes away from his classmate, his partner, the love of his life, toward Nino, trying not to show the giddy joy that was flooding his system. He had found his lady.

And he couldn't say anything! And not just because they were in the courtyard surrounded by their classmates. He literally couldn't say anything! Not to Marinette! Not even to _Plagg,_ who had confided two weeks prior that Master Fu was growing increasingly paranoid since the location of his home and hideout had been compromised. Their master had apparently decided that Chat Noir and Ladybug would have to give up their miraculouses if they ever discovered each other's identities.

It wasn't fair!

Why couldn't this have happened like three weeks ago?

But really, it was his own fault. How could he have been so blind? So oblivious for so long?!

Adrien was lost once again in his own swirling thoughts. He didn't know how he made it back to class, in the front row next to Nino like he did every single day after the lunch break. But every hair on the back of his neck went on high alert when Marinette came in only to take a seat behind him… like _she_ did every single day.

It's just Marinette!

But it wasn't. It could never be _just_ Marinette again.

That was _Ladybug_ sitting behind him, able to notice every misplaced blond lock of hair, every wrinkle in his overshirt, every time he dropped his pencil or bounced his knees in absolute boredom.

So naturally, he was extra fidgety today. Even Ms. Bustier noticed.

"Adrien," she said, a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Fine!" he croaked around the lumpy ball in his throat. "I just had too much caffeine this morning," he lied easily, as if his whole world hadn't been knocked completely out of orbit.

Ms. Bustier smiled pleasantly and continued to move through the classroom as they all started their reading.

He tried to focus on the passage. He really did. But it was a lost cause. There was just no space for the story to enter his head when his brain was already full of his own spiraling thoughts.

Ladybug was Marinette.

How many times had he called Marinette "just a friend"? Plagg had given him such a hard time every time he said that. The little bastard had _known_! God, he wanted to strangle the little black kwami. _Marinette_ was the love of his life!

And he could not be more happy about it! She was so _amazing_! She was passionate, creative, and someone who actively stood up for others. God, he had looked up to her _before_ he had known about her alter ego. Now, she was so completely out of his league.

He slumped down into his seat as his euphoria crashed as low as he had been high seconds before at that revelation. Because what reason did Marinette have to like him? What did he have to offer someone like her besides emotional baggage and lame jokes?

Plus, Marinette _liked_ someone. His eyes scanned the rest of the class. Was it someone he knew? No one here popped out at him for holding Marinette's attention. Maybe it was someone she knew from elsewhere.

He tried to stamp out that line of thinking! He had told her before he would respect her feelings. He _would_! As impossible as that sometimes felt, he knew he wasn't entitled to her attention just because they had both been chosen. He knew that he wasn't entitled to any of it, even though he wanted her favor more than anything.

But right now, they had other pressing concerns.

Because they both knew. (At least, he was pretty sure). They weren't supposed to, and if Plagg or Tikki found out, they'd have to give up their miraculouses. And he couldn't give up being Chat Noir. He couldn't go back to being locked up in his room alone with no outlet for release. Not now that he knew what freedom tasted like.

The bell rang, and the sudden burst of activity as everyone packed up left him reeling. Marinette was already halfway out the door. But they needed to talk.

"Marinette!" he called after her as he slammed his tablet into his bag, moved around the desk, and took a few quick strides to catch up with her where she had stopped at his call of her name.

"Yeah?" she asked, her blue eyes were soft, so deep, and so very _familiar_. How had he never recognized them before? She was smiling at him with genuine affection; it made him feel warm.

"I was w-wondering if… uh…" Great. Now _he_ was the one stuttering…

"Yes?" she prompted patiently, one side of her mouth upturned in an amused smirk.

"Could we grab some coffee together?" His fingers twitched, and his stomach fluttered with nerves. God, it was hard to look at her.

Her lips parted.

"Not a date!" He rapidly corrected before she could respond. He couldn't handle adding another no to his growing list of rejections at the moment.

Her smile lost some of its luster, her shoulders stiffened, and her gaze glanced past him. God, had he screwed this up already? Was she angry that he knew her identity? It had always been so important to her.

"You want to get coffee?" she repeated. "When?"

"I… ummm… now?" His hand rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Of course," she agreed readily enough, but her voice had dropped to a whisper, and her eyes remained glued to the floor. All of her warmth from seconds ago had evaporated.

They walked together two blocks to a nearby coffee shop. Not a word was exchanged. His skin buzzed in nerves at the awkward silence. He could not for the life of him figure out why this was suddenly so hard. This was Ladybug. They saw each other every day. She had seen him trip over his own feet, chase laser pointers, and she had caught him from falling off a building. He trusted her more than he trusted himself. They had rapport. And banter. So why couldn't he say two words to her now?

They ordered their drinks. He had offered to pay, but Marinette insisted on separate checks. They finally settled on either side of a small table against a large window, the cold emanating from it encouraging them to keep their coats on.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" Marinette finally prompted in the silence, her hands wrapped around the hot cocoa as if to warm them. Her eyes stared blankly out the window.

And for the millionth time that day, Adrien had no idea what to say. He hadn't thought this through at all. They were in a public place and he was keenly aware of the kwami nestled comfortably in his jacket. He had never thought there'd be a time when he wished the kwami wasn't present.

"I… uh… well, I r-realized today…"

And for the first time in thirty minutes, her expression softened. She reached across the table and captured his fidgeting fingers and calmed them with a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay," she whispered. Her fingers stroked his hand, tracing phantom patterns onto his exposed skin, and a second later he realized her fingers slid over his ring. His miraculous. And then she repeated the pattern.

His eyes met hers, and she nodded. That was as much confirmation as he needed.

He glanced at her earrings while he pulled his other hand to his own ear, and gently tugged on his own earlobe as if he was merely scratching an itch.

She nodded again.

And finally, his internal storm abated, and he only felt calm. Things were obviously different, and they had to find a new dynamic, but he was always okay when he was with her. Together, they could get through anything.

"Well see," he started for the kwamis' benefit, proud of how steady he held his voice. "I can't actually say. I wasn't thinking. It's somebody else's secret, so I can't talk about it. I shouldn't have said anything about it to you at all."

"That's okay," she said with a smile. It was small, but it was genuine once again. "I know _exactly_ what you mean."

"This is really happening, right?" The question burst from him without thought. He knew he was pushing it. Plagg wasn't an idiot and he assumed Tikki wasn't either, but he had to ask.

She giggled. "Let's have lunch! And we can talk about anything and everything that is _not_ a secret."

He smiled. "That sounds amazing!"

…

**A/N: **

Please note, that it is going to be four chapters. Most of it is already written, and even though I've already met the event's posting requirement of 1500 words, I'm going to try my hardest to get all of it done before the new year begins because ladybuginettes deserves a completed work! But of course, chapter three and four or more complete than chapter two at the moment… so it may end up bleeding into January a bit… Writer problems…

**Next time in Chapter Two: The New Normal**  
More post reveal Adrinette and LadyNoir fluffy shenanigans!

Plus, some Adrien/Plagg moments!


	2. The New Normal

A/N: Special thanks to AsuraSantosha, my sister, for getting me into Miraculous Ladybug in the first place. I've had way too much fun in this fandom. Thanks for engaging with me over the years in my fanfiction writing hobby. And thanks most recently, for taking time out of her insane holiday work schedule to beta this chapter for me!

This chapter clearly ran away from me. Hope you enjoy it! Especially Ladybuginettes!

**Chapter 2: The New Normal**

After coffee, Marinette had invited him over for some Mecha Strike and pastries, and since, by some miracle, his calendar was clear, he leapt at the invitation. Then he turned off his phone for good measure so that Nathalie couldn't notify him of changes because nothing was going to interrupt time spent with his lady.

So, here he was in Marinette's room. _Ladybug's_ room. Of course, he had been here before, but now it felt more personal. For one, he was actually paying attention this time. Every design sketch and photo of her and her friends on the wall was a gift of insight into her world. Even the rice paper lanterns and fairy lights hanging from the ceiling felt magical. And of course, the mannequin with the beginnings of a red skirt pinned to its waist that he was confident would look amazing on her within the next week or two. _And_ he was hanging out with Ladybug _just for fun_ \- no responsibilities or akumas to deal with - he felt positively giddy with excitement. Like it was difficult to sit still.

And, he was finally getting to know Marinette better in light of her newfound ability to string whole sentences together. This was something he had been trying to do as Adrien for years with little to show for it and no clues for how to break through the invisible obstacles between them. He still wasn't sure why those barriers had existed in the first place, but he was delighted that Chat Noir was able to make them evaporate.

He tried to stay focused on the game at hand. He knew from prior experience that he could beat her in maybe one out of three matches on a good day. But today, as distracted as he was, he'd be lucky if he made it to one in five. In the current round, Marinette was winning, but by a slim enough margin, that he still had a chance. Well, until he glanced at her profile next to him.

She was entirely focused on the screen, her tongue poking out from the side of her mouth, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He stared for half a second too long. Then she slammed him with her super he hadn't even realized she had accumulated enough combo points to earn. He might have been able to dodge it had he been paying attention. As it was, the large KO was already blinking in red over his avatar's prone form.

She dropped her controller and threw her hands up in victory. "Eat it, Agreste!"

He couldn't help the smile that bloomed across his face at her mini victory celebration. She was so competitive. He had known that about Ladybug after challenging her to a few races across the city, but he had never known that about Marinette.

She turned to him and frowned.

"Are you letting me win?" She accused, her eyes slitted half closed in suspicion. "I know I'm good, but I don't usually best you five times in a row!"

"Not on purpose?" He offered sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have gotten distracted."

"Distracted by what?"

How cute she was.

"Your dedication to your craft," he deflected, but he felt the heat in his cheeks.

"Now, you're just being ridiculous."

He shrugged.

She stared at him flatly. "As long as that's what it was." Her eyes turned fierce. He felt trapped in her gaze. "You're not allowed to give up on me."

"It's just a game, Mari."

"You're not allowed to give up on me _ever_." She repeated fiercely. "I can't stand it when you give up even if it's to let me win."

This wasn't about their game. She was talking to Chat Noir about his willingness to take hits and dive off platforms and buildings. But he couldn't promise to stop doing those things. He would do whatever he needed to do to keep her safe or see her victorious.

"I swear to keep fighting as the lady wishes," he promised stoically before pressing the button to start another match.

"You had better!"

"Maybe someday, I'll even be able to give you some competition," he added after he managed to land the first blow.

Adrien groaned as she ate up his lead in two beautifully executed combos, and went on to knock out his character for the sixth time that afternoon. He really needed to get his head in the game because this was getting embarrassing!

The trapdoor opened interrupting their seventh match. Tom's head poked up followed by a whole array of baked sweets. Could this day get any better? "Who brought their appetite?"

"Papa!" Marinette objected, her face blooming in pink. "I said we'd come down! We're…"

Adrien leapt from his seat and took the offered platter. "_Wheat_ definitely love to partake in your treats Monsieur Dupain! Thank you!"

Tom winked at him and he departed quickly, closing the trapdoor behind him.

He held out the tray to her. "Your dad is so nice. We should _grainciously_ accept his offer."

"I'm not hungry," she declared. "Stupid puns destroy my appetite." Her stomach growled in that exact moment.

Adrien laughed. "Don't _berry_ your hunger, Mari just because I'm _hiss_terical."

She threw a pillow at him. He managed to whirl the tray out of the line of fire with ease.

"Hey! Watch the food!" He objected.

"Stop being ridiculous!" she countered.

"You _loave_ that I'm ridiculous."

He was floored when she actually blushed and looked away.

"Maybe," she admitted, her eyes had fallen to the controller in her hands.

"Let's take a break!" he begged with an exaggerated pout. "These smell delicious. We both know that I was going to win that round anyway. Wouldn't want to ruin your perfect streak."

"What?" she disagreed hotly. "That is _not_ something we both know!"

He laughed. "Well, I concede then. Croissant?" he offered, holding the tray out to her again.

She put down her controller, and poured over the selection, pulling out a red macaron daintily.

Soon they were settled on her chaise, tearing through croissants, cookies, and tarts, their controllers forgotten with the Mecha Strike opening sequence playing on repeat in the background.

"You know what I hate?" Marinette said, as she twisted another bite off her croissant.

He froze mid-bite. Had he taken the puns too far?

"Huh?" He prompted when she didn't automatically keep going.

"No one trusts me to show up to things," she confided. "My parents rarely let me do deliveries anymore and even Alya tells me to show up an hour before she tells everyone else 'to make sure I arrive on time' with everyone else! Like, who has time for that?"

"Yeah," Adrien agreed readily. "I've had to flake on so many things, that now, I don't get very many invites to stuff from anyone besides Nino because everyone assumes I won't be able to go."

Which wasn't necessarily a bad assumption really, but he did exaggerate how filled his schedule was whenever he needed an excuse to disappear so Chat Noir could show up. He had made up so many impromptu photoshoots. People probably assumed his father was an actual slave driver.

"Oh! I hadn't thought about that," she agreed. "I guess I'm guilty of that too. I'm sorry, Adrien."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her. "It's nice that you understand now."

She smiled back, but then her expression dropped again.

"I just hate that they're not wrong, you know?" She paused in eating to stare blankly towards the wall. "That I get so easily sidetracked and I know I can't be relied upon by my friends and family."

Because Paris had to be able to rely on Ladybug. Because Ladybug had to be reliable even at the cost of Marinette's reputation.

"I used to be so responsible," she concluded in a whisper.

"Hey," he whispered, pulling her head back up with a finger on her chin. "You _are_ responsible! The most responsible person I know," he told her. "I mean, maybe your parents and friends don't know why you're not following through, but when you don't, it's because you _are_ responsible."

She smiled, the warmth returning to her eyes. "I'm glad that you can see it at least. It's nice to not feel so alone."

"I always have your back, Mari."

_It's you and me against the world. _

Her grin grew tenfold. She scooted backwards on the chaise, folding a foot under leg as she turned to him more casually.

"Do you feel like anyone truly knows you?" she asked. "Not Adrien Agreste, teenage supermodel registered trademark, but the _real_ you underneath all the make-up and photo-shop touch ups?"

"It's not like I'm pretending to be a different person if that's what you're asking," he told her seriously. "It's more like I give different people in my life different pieces of me. But all those pieces are real. What about you?"

She grinned. "What about me? I'm not famous."

Like hell, she wasn't.

"I can't imagine it's that different for you," he insisted. "We all play different roles or wear different masks with different people. Until a week ago, you behaved very differently around me than say, Alya."

He did not anticipate the deep red that bloomed across her face.

"Th-that's different!" she stammered.

Adrien didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to ask. But he was so afraid of her answer. Why had she been so different around him? Did she think he would hurt her or make fun of her?

"Does anyone know the real Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" he asked instead.

She looked at him for a moment, then her gaze shifted away to the designs on her wall.

"Besides my parents, I have two best friends," she told him. "Alya at school, and one in another part of my life."

Chat Noir.

"I think they both have seen me at my best - seen what I can do when I get really into a project or stand up for some of my classmates. They've both also been there when I freak out about silly things or fall into an anxious spiral of hopelessness. They're both really good at building me up in those moments."

She reached out and squeezed his hand. _Thank you._

He squeezed back. He really didn't think there was any reason to thank him. She was amazing. It wasn't hard to help her remember that when she forgot.

He was suddenly very aware of their joined hands. His skin was touching hers. There were no suits or masks between them. He felt the red rise to his face again. He was so glad they had figured each other out so they could have this.

And again, he found himself wanting to ask what it was about pre-reveal Adrien that triggered her anxiety. And what was it about Chat Noir that allowed her to overcome those nerves. Why didn't she trust pre-reveal Adrien to support her in the same way that Chat always had even when he didn't know Marinette was Ladybug.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her eyes turned to him in concern.

"Not at all," he soothed. He couldn't ask yet. He was still afraid of her answer, afraid of shattering this fragile new connection between them. He made himself smile brightly. "So, what do you enjoy?"

"Besides fashion design and video games?" she answered in confusion.

He looked away for a second, trying to figure out how to rephrase the question.

"You said earlier that you hated being flakey," he said. "What do you enjoy? What motivates the amazing righteous Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Getting to help people," she said immediately, her eyes shining with unrestrained light. "Especially in situations where I'm uniquely qualified to do so."

"Like the time when you arranged for us to retake the class photo for Juleka," he threw in.

"Yes! Exactly! That, and I love the views of the city!"

Plagg shifted in his pocket and Adrien tensed. Her own eyes widened, as she clamped her hands over her own mouth.

Somehow her panic centered him. He took her hand again, and squeezed gently.

"It's okay," he mouthed to her as he tilted his head sideways toward her balcony. She followed his movement and immediately sighed, her whole body loosening in relief.

"You should come see it some time," she managed after the three second delay. "It's inspiring."

"See what?" He said, still holding her hand.

"The view from my balcony," she filled in as if it was the obvious and what she had meant the whole time. "W-What did you think I meant, Adrien? The top of the Eiffel Tower?"

He smiled.

The view from the Eiffel Tower was certainly amazing. But he always found it more magical when she was with him.

"I think the view right here is lovely too," he said, his gaze locked onto her crystal blue eyes.

"Stop it!" she hissed, even as warmth flooded her cheeks.

"Never." Especially not now that he could get such a reaction out of her. She had always met his flirtations with eye-rolls before. He wondered what had changed.

Whatever it was, he loved it.

…

Adrien flopped onto his bed with a love-sick sigh. Plagg ignored him as he gobbled happily through half a wheel of camembert.

The kid thought he was subtle. He was not.

But Plagg wasn't going to call him out on it. The kwami of destruction had always hated the secret identity dance, but even he had to admit this latest development was beyond hilarious. It was clear they both knew. They were trying to pretend they didn't and their attempts at subterfuge were as adorable as a litter of eight-week-old mewling kittens.

He could have put Adrien out of his misery by admitting he had no intention of telling Fu. Plagg liked his kid and had no desire to start over with a fresh face. Adrien needed him. Plus, who else would be able to provide such high quality cheese day in and day out?

But that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as putting his chosen needlessly on edge.

"Do you know?"

"Do I know what, Plagg?" Adrien repeated absently. The kid didn't even look up from his phone. The dratted devices were the worst invention humans had ever come up with.

"Don't play dumb!" Plagg pushed. "It's obvious that you know."

Adrien looked straight up at him then, eyebrows furrowed in a puzzled frown. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Plagg had to admit that his kid was a better actor than Tikki's, but he wasn't fooled. Not remotely.

"You know what? Nevermind." Plagg knew Adrien wasn't going to admit it. Nor should he. In a weird way, the kwami was proud of him. Because his chosen wasn't always good at going after what he wanted, especially when doing so required him to break the rules or expectations placed on him even when those rules or expectations were unrealistic or unfair. And if anyone deserved a little more happiness and a little more freedom, it was Adrien.

Feeling pleasantly stuffed, Plagg curled up into a tiny ball on Adrien's pillow fully intending on taking a four-hour nap. But his attempts at sleep were constantly interrupted by the soft love sick sighs Adrien released whenever he was going through his Ladybug album.

"Would you cut it out?" Plagg demanded. "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Cut what out, Plagg?" Adrien repeated absently. "I wasn't saying anything."

"No, you weren't. You saying something would have been easier to ignore," the cat god groused.

"I have to tell her how I feel," Adrien thought out loud, his attention still solely focused on that blasted electronic rectangle. "Do you think she likes me?"

"Aren't you tired of letting Ladybug break your heart?" Plagg said, his voice flat with a total lack of enthusiasm.

"Not Ladybug. Marinette!" Adrien corrected rapidly.

Plagg whipped around to Adrien's shoulders. Sure enough, Adrien was pouring through Marinette's Instagram feed, and not his Ladybug album.

"Marinette? Since when? I thought Marinette was '_just a friend_.'"

"I did too, Plagg! But she's been so different this week! She's not nervous, and she's so creative and quick on her feet. She's amazing and I think I love her."

"What about Ladybug?" Plagg couldn't help but tease even though he knew exactly what had happened to Adrien's crush on Ladybug.

"I'll always love Ladybug, but she's made it clear that she's interested in someone else. Oh my god!" Adrien whirled around from his stupid screen and finally looked at him. "She likes someone else! Plagg, who do you think that is?"

Plagg was proud of himself for not laughing. "What does it matter? I thought you liked Marinette now," he mocked.

"R-right. Do you think Marinette likes someone? Me, maybe?" Adrien's eyes trembled with sudden vulnerability.

"I can't believe you have to ask."

"She doesn't like me, does she? I mean, why would she? Why was she always so nervous around me before? Did she hate me?"

"You don't give me enough cheese for this," the kwami grumbled.

Plagg was way too old to deal with this nonsense. Teenagers drove him absolutely bonkers. All humans were too short lived to understand that the things they stressed about did not matter! Even Fu, who had lived almost two hundred years at this point, was subject to making mountains out of molehills. Hence, all this secret identity nonsense.

But _teenagers_ were by _far_ the worst! Their brains were fully developed, but they didn't have the benefit of enough mistakes under their belts to appreciate how ridiculous their so-called problems were. Plagg loved his kid. He really did. He could admit this to himself if no one else, but he wasn't Tikki. He didn't have her love of mentoring or never ending sweet patience. He was the God of Destruction for Pete's sake.

In that moment, Adrien's phone buzzed.

"Akuma," the boy reported.

"Thank God!" Plagg muttered.

...

Chat Noir landed in a dramatic crouch on the familiar school rooftop next to Ladybug. The akuma was terrorizing the school courtyard below, destroying all the decorations they had spent the previous day putting up.

"What have we got today, Milady?" he asked.

"Pretty standard stuff!" I guess someone was upset that their class didn't win the decorating contest. "Follow my lead?"

"Always," he said with a grin.

Somehow, watching Ladybug in action today was more impressive than ever. He admired the precision of every acrobatic flip. She moved just as much as needed to dodge the Christmas ornament projectiles, and not a centimeter more. With her lucky charm in hand (a red wreath dotted in black), her eyes rapidly shifted taking in every detail in the courtyard. He could almost see the wheels in her head turning as she formulated a bizarre plan. He didn't know how she did it!

He grinned. He was so lost on this girl, now more than ever. His old feelings for Ladybug now felt insignificant to what he was feeling now. He had been a teenager with a crush!

Which wasn't to say his feelings hadn't been real. He definitely had a crush on her, but he hadn't really known the full context of who she was. Not before this morning.

Marinette was so much more _human _than Ladybug. She had insecurities and struggles, depth and dimension. All of which made her _more_ inspiring, not less. She was more real now and he was more in love than ever!

"Chat! Focus!" She called to him.

"Right!" he shouted back, pulling himself together.

"I need you to lure her into the open."

"On it!" He dove into action. The akuma was hunkered down behind one of the staircases. A quick cataclysm turned the akuma's makeshift barricade into dust, and suddenly she had nowhere to hide.

Ladybug had the festive akuma lassoed into her wreath another fifteen seconds later. It took even less time for her to identify the akumatized object, and purify the corrupted butterfly.

When she offered her fist in their usual victory celebration, he found himself disappointed that the encounter had wrapped up so quickly. He wasn't ready to part. He would have to wait until tomorrow to see her again.

"Recharge and meet up at the normal spot?" She invited when he met her fist with his own, as if reading his mind.

He grinned. "Race you there!"

He watched her duck out of sight before he followed suit. He handed Plagg his slice of cheese, wishing they didn't have to hold up this pretense of needing to separate to recharge or transform. He wondered what it would be like to see Ladybug transform.

She beat him there. No wonder, with how lost he got in his own head.

"What's up Bugaboo?" He asked, as he took a seat beside her. He wasn't sure how much Plagg was privy to while transformed, but he figured it was better to err on the side of caution.

"Oh! I… ummm… it's just been awhile since we got to just hang out." A slight breeze sent the red ribbons in her hair fluttering in the brisk winter air.

He grinned. A whole three hours, in fact. But he wasn't one to complain about getting to spend more time with his lady.

"I love the view up here!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the monolithic evenly spaced buildings that met the clearest blue sky. Sprinkles of green foliage between the structures and moving people that looked like colorful dots breathed in life to the landscape. It was a view he probably never would have seen outside a photograph had he never been gifted with a miraculous.

And that he got to share it with her...

"I've always felt so free up here," Adrien agreed. "My civilian life has a lot of structure and restrictions. I'm always expected to uphold appearances."

"That's why you've always loved being Chat Noir," Ladybug observed, her blue eyes looking right at him.

"You have no idea!" Adrien laughed. "When I found the miraculous that first day, I was so excited I transformed before Plagg had explained anything."

She giggled. "I remember you wasting that first cataclysm on a goal post."

"Yeah," he mumbled, trying to smother his rising embarrassment.

"I had to be coaxed into it," she admitted. "I screamed and tried to squash Tikki thinking she was an actual bug."

He laughed. He could picture it so clearly now in her pink room lit up with paper lanterns and fairy lights.

"I didn't want it. I tried to say no," Ladybug confided, turning her suddenly solemn gaze back towards the city.

Chat froze. She had never told him this. And he felt cold at the thought that he might never have met her or never seen her again after that first day.

"What changed your mind?" he asked, watching her as she fidgeted under his curious gaze.

"You."

He couldn't breathe. Didn't she know she already had his heart? She couldn't just _say_ things like that.

"Do you ever regret it?" He asked a moment later. He wasn't sure he wanted to know if the answer was yes.

"It's definitely hard sometimes. But how can I regret it when it brought us to this moment?" she smiled at him as she shoulder bumped him.

He fell sideways a little at the unexpected contact, heat blazing once again across his face. His brain had long since stopped functioning.

"Who knows, maybe we would have met anyway and had a different moment," he said with a huge grin.

"But it wouldn't have been the same," she said, looking into the distance. "We wouldn't have shared this totally unique bizarre thing together. We wouldn't have realized how much we trust one another."

Her head fell gently onto his shoulder, and nervous energy buzzed along his skin. This day just kept getting better, and he didn't want to screw this up.

"You're right. It wouldn't have been the same," he agreed, and let his head lean onto hers.

He couldn't have said how long they stayed that way in comfortable silence. But when they finally decided it was time to go home, the sun had long since set.

...

**A/N: **

So clearly, I didn't even come close to meeting my goal of finishing this whole fic by Dec 31st as we're already spilling into January! The good news is that chapter three and four are both much further along than Chapter two was when I posted the first chapter. The bad news is I have to go back to work on Monday and will have to drop from three writing sessions a week to one… so maybe those two effects will cancel out and I'll finish this whole thing within the next 4-6 weeks?! I'm hoping anyway!

For my Sailor Moon fans, the next chapter of Chocolate Milkshakes has been sent to TinaCentury for her betaing expertise! I hope that chapter will be out in the next few days too! (That's the other story I'd love to have finished within the next four weeks or so!)

**Next time in Chapter Two: The New Normal**  
Nino and Alya both offer advice to their friends and Adrien shares an important revelation with Marinette.


	3. Advice

**A/N: **So… this chapter is late. I have excuses! First, this chapter really ran away from me and ended up twice as long as I anticipated. But my real struggle was I suffered a mild concussion that has been messing with my memory. I'm struggling most with word recall and people's names. Turns out that can make writing a more frustrating experience. Luckily, I seem to be healing well.

**Chapter 3: Advice**

Something was up with Adrien. Something had changed dramatically in his entire demeanor in the last thirty-six hours. Nino didn't know what it was exactly, but it was definitely _something_. Something good if Adrien's expression was anything to go by. His friend hopped out of his car beaming like a kid headed to an amusement park for the first time in his life and not a teenager headed to yet another routine day of school. His smile was so bright it could light up the moon! The blond waved enthusiastically to his bodyguard who scowled back even as he drove away.

"Mornin' dude!" Nino greeted, holding his right hand up and open. Adrien clapped into it and pulled Nino into a vigorous hug.

"Nino!" Adrien exclaimed with far more enthusiasm than normal. "Beautiful day isn't it?!"

Nino's brown eyes glanced upward. The sky was grey, blanketed in a heavy layer of clouds that threatened rain, or maybe even hail. The wind was so cold Nino could see his breath and he was especially grateful for his headphones today which were serving double duty in delivering awesome tunes and offering his ears just a bit of extra protection from the biting cold.

"If you say so, mec," Nino agreed with a laugh.

Adrien bounded up the stairs two at a time with a literal bounce in his step as if his exuberance alone could banish the ominous weather. Nino chuckled. Alya had dubbed Adrien the sunshine child for a reason.

Nino increased his own pace to catch up at the top of the stairs. "What's up with you, dude?"

"I'm grounded," Adrien reported gleefully as the two of them slipped through the double doors and into the school's main lobby.

"You're grounded?" Nino repeated in surprise.

"Yup!"

"Okay…" Nino drawled. "You don't seem upset."

"It was worth it," Adrien admitted, his vibrant green eyes lost their focus as he was clearly lost in memories of whatever had been worth it.

Nino smiled. "What did you do to get grounded?"

"I let my phone die and then disappeared the whole day," Adrien explained as he opened his locker and exchanged a few notebooks.

"You turned it off so Nathalie couldn't track you down," Nino concluded. He had given Adrien this suggestion before for avoiding his overbearing guardians.

"Exactly. Thanks for that tip by the way." Adrien grinned as he offered a fist bump. Nino reciprocated. "I tried to say I was caught up in the akuma attack. She wasn't fooled. I guess that was stupid. That attack lasted what? Five minutes?"

"So… why were you giving Nathalie the dodge?" If Nino didn't know better he'd swear Adrien was trying to avoid talking about whatever had made him so happy.

"Oh! I was…" Adrien blushed all the way down to his neck. His hand rubbed the spot nervously. "Uh… I was hanging out with Mari."

Nino grinned. Alya was going to _love_ this development! "That's a new nickname."

Adrien's face burned even redder. "Is it? I swear I've heard people call her that."

Adrien closed his locker, and they walked in step towards Nino's.

"Not you though," Nino commented, his footfalls echoing through the mostly empty hallway.

"I… guess not."

"So, what'd you and Mari do?"

"We played Mecha Strike. She kicked my ass a bunch!" The blond sounded positively gleeful about it. "And then we ate a bunch of pastries her dad made. But mostly we just talked. I haven't had so much fun in ages."

"Should I be jealous?" Nino asked with a playful shoulder bump as he turned the combo into his own locker. It opened with a click.

"What?! What for?" Adrien's green eyes turned to him, swirling in anxiety.

"Dude! Chill. I'm teasing you. What's going on with you and Mari anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Adrien deflected, looking away, over Nino's shoulder to their peers walking through the hall.

Nino smirked. It was obvious that Adrien knew what he was talking about and just stalling. It was rare to see his friend so flustered, and Nino wasn't going to lie. He kinda thought it was hilarious.

"With Marinette?" Nino prompted. "Three days ago, you were awkward as hell around one another. Now, you're thick as thieves. What changed?"

Adrien leaned casually against the locker adjacent to Nino's and stared upwards at the ceiling. "Honestly? It's difficult to explain. Let's just say that it was easier to get to know her when she stopped being so nervous around me. And man, we really get along and have a ton in common!"

"What made her get over her nerves?" Nino asked. Alya was losing her mind over it. It was like one day Marinette had just flipped a switch and went from disaster Marinette to suave confident and sassy Marinette. Nino was proud of their friend, but of course his girlfriend wanted to know the why's and how's of everything!

He loved that about her.

Adrien shrugged. "You'd have to ask Marinette."

"You like her?" Nino closed his locker. But they didn't turn towards class, and instead lingered in the hallway.

"Umm… yeah?" Adrien admitted, his face blooming with pink. "A lot more than I realized. Is that weird? I know you had feelings for her."

Nino laughed. "Don't worry, mec. I'm with Alya now. Totally happy."

Adrien let out a sigh and his whole form loosened.

"You were worried I would be upset?" Nino questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah?" Adrien admitted with another blush. "I'm sorry. It's silly. The last few days have been amazing, and I just keep expecting things to go wrong."

"No worries man. If you want, Alya and I could set you and Mari up!"

"Thanks Nino. I appreciate the offer, but actually... I don't know if I want Alya involved."

"You have a problem with my girl, bro?" Nino teased with mock hostility.

"No? I mean, maybe?"

Nino arched an eyebrow at his best friend again.

"No offense dude, but your girlfriend is _intense!_" Adrien exclaimed.

Nino laughed. "Trust me, _I_ know." He loved that about her.

Mylene and Ivan walked past hand in hand. Mylene waved at them while Ivan offered a nod. Adrien and Nino waved back casually.

"And it's not just that," Adrien added after their classmates turned the corner. "I kinda want to let things develop on their own. You know that girl I was crushing on?"

"The one you work with?" Nino supplied. He never had a name to go with Adrien's mystery crush. His friend had always been paranoid his father would get wind of things and no longer let him work with her.

"Yeah, her. Well, I rushed things with her and I messed everything up. I… I don't want that to happen again by confessing too soon." Adrien tapped the toe of his foot on the floor restlessly.

"I get it man. I will try to get Alya to chill, but you know she's been an Adrinette shipper almost since she met you both."

"A what?" Adrien asked. His face had gone scarlet again.

"Yeah, she has been rooting for the Adrinette ship almost as hard as Ladynoir."

If anything, Adrien's blush deepened. His face was now almost as red as Ladybug's suit!

"Just be warned. Now that Mari's finally turned your head, I may not be able to hold Alya back." Not that he ever could. Alya was like a force of nature. He loved that about her.

"I-if Alya has been shipping Marinette and I… does that mean Marinette likes me?" Adrien's green eyes drilled into him beseechingly, begging for answers.

Nino tensed.

"No no, don't tell me," Adrien insisted, waving away his question as he looked away. "If Marinette liked me, I'm sure she'd have told me herself."

Nino sighed. It's not like she hadn't tried.

"But maybe you could answer a different question…?" Adrien turned back to his friend, his eyes troubled.

Nino smiled and gestured for his friend to go on.

"Do you know why I used to make her so anxious?" The blond looked so dejected. Nino wanted to fix it, but how could he without explaining?

"_Dude!_ You really should ask Marinette about that! But I promise it's nothing you did! And it's nothing bad. In fact, I think you should just forget about it, and just tell her how you feel."

Adrien sighed. "It's not that easy, Nino. I overheard that she likes someone, but I didn't catch who. If she likes someone, I don't want to disrespect that by asking her out. I don't want to make her mad. She deserves to be with the person she wants. Even if that person isn't me."

Nino wasn't going to lie. He almost laughed. If his boy only _knew_! Plus, He found it hilarious that Adrien Agreste, a teenage model and celebrity who was rich and talented, had doubts about girls. Of course, Marinette wasn't superficial like that, but _still!_

"Asking her out doesn't mean she has to say yes. You're just being honest that you think she's amazing and are interested in something more. The ball is in her court at that point. She gets to decide what to do with it."

The bell rang.

"What if she says no?" Adrien's voice was so quiet, barely louder than a whisper. Nino almost didn't hear him above the sudden bustle of activity as students moved at the signal to head to class.

Nino could not picture that eventuality. It just didn't seem possible that Marinette would ever say no to Adrien. Maybe in some crazy alternate universe.

"Then you'll still have an awesome friend! Because Marinette would never let something like a confession get in the way of you being friends."

Adrien was silent for awhile. Then he turned back with a smile. "Thanks Nino! You're right. Marinette will always be my friend if nothing else."

And they headed towards class with Adrien's smile once again restored.

…

A week had gone by and Adrien had yet to follow through on Nino's advice. He wanted to. He wanted to confess to Marinette once again desperately. He had never been particularly good at holding back his feelings when he wanted something. And even though being grounded the whole week made it difficult to spend any one-on-one time with her, he still saw her every day in class and occasionally when he had managed to sneak out for patrol. And each time he saw her, he felt the air flee his lungs and his heart stutter. His whole body vibrated with nervous energy every time he saw her. He felt ready to explode like a star about to go supernova.

But he pulled back on his own proverbial reins because Chat Noir had already confessed to Ladybug. She had put him in his place not once, but _twice_. And God, he wanted to respect her no. He knew that she owed him nothing. He didn't want to push past her previously established boundaries, but things felt different now.

She held his gaze constantly instead of ducking away from Adrien or glancing past Chat Noir. Her blue eyes were constantly sparkling in shared secrets and mischief. She laughed more in his presence than she had before in either of her or his personas. He could even sometimes make her blush with a single pun!

She was comfortable and at ease around him like she had always been with Chat. And she was thoughtful and sweet as she had always been with Adrien. But now, she was also open and vulnerable with him in a way she had never been with either. Before their mutual reveal, she had always held Chat at an arm's length and been awkward around Adrien.

She just acted so differently around him now. He found himself thinking and praying that just _maybe _the shift signaled that she reciprocated his feelings. He wanted to believe _so badly_ that this new closeness meant she felt the same. But he couldn't help but worry that he was walking into a trap by getting his hopes up. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part.

Because what did he really have to offer someone like her? She was passionate and fiery while he was well behaved and boring. He knew that he had the looks and the money, but Marinette didn't care about those things. Marinette was selfless. She was a hero because she cared about the city. He took up the miraculous because he was tired of being alone in his cavernous room. And he kept it because it meant he got to spend time with her. His motives had always been selfish.

Maybe she could be open simply because there were no secrets between them anymore. She always had to hold herself back from everyone to protect her identity, and by extension, her friends. Now, she didn't have to.

Maybe that's all this was.

But one thing was for sure: he was hooked, more in love with her than he had ever been before. He had thought he was lost before, but now he was truly gone. He felt seen and understood as he had never felt in his life. And he liked to think that he saw all of her in a way that no one else could as well.

He was ready to burst like a hot corn kernel about to pop. He couldn't sit on these feelings. But he was also terrified of piercing the bubble of their new dynamic, terrified that he had misinterpreted everything and he would lose all of this.

When his house arrest had finally been lifted, Adrien wasted no time in reaching out to Marinette about hanging out after school. He didn't care what they did, so long as he could spend more time with her. Her company, her smile, her swirling deep blue eyes, and her easy laughter were like a baum to his soul. And he was never going to get enough.

She had agreed readily enough, and suggested they just hang out at the park across from her parents' bakery. It was a beautiful day for sitting side by side on a park bench - still freezing cold, but the sky was a gorgeous blue dotted with puffy white clouds and almost no breeze so that kept the chill out of the layers of their winter clothes. The dusting of snow remained, making the whole park look like something out of a fairytale.

He had planned on keeping the whole outing platonic and friendly. Just two best friends hanging out. Really, he had.

It had taken all of five minutes alone in her presence for him to crack.

"Mari?"

"Yeah?" Her soft gaze swung to his face.

"Can I ask for your advice about a girl?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked away - towards a handful of laughing children throwing coins into the fountain. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice so neutral he couldn't get any read on her.

"I-It's a girl I work with," he carried on recklessly. "I'm a bit crazy about her."

"A girl you work with?" she repeated, her gaze still locked on the playing children.

"Yeah…" He followed her gaze, but his eyes remained unfocused. He was lost in memories and nostalgia of the day he had met Marinette. It was the same day he had met Ladybug. He had met her _twice_ on the same day! That had probably been the luckiest day of his life. "I've never been good at standing up for myself," he confided. "Really, I'm a bit of a pushover. And you know how controlling my father is… every scrap of freedom I can find I grab and run with it. Until I met this girl, I was always focused on what I wanted. It's not to say I was a jerk or anything. It just never really occurred to me to think about others.

"But this girl… she flipped my world on its head." He couldn't hold back the huge grin that spread across his face. And he didn't want to. "She was so nervous the day I met her, uncertain and clumsy… but when it mattered, she stood up to an absolute bastard who seems to get off on tormenting people on their worst day. And it wasn't just that she told him off, which in my world was amazing in and of itself, but what really floored me was she didn't do it for herself. She did it because it was right. And ever since then I have always tried to live up to her example."

"She sounds amazing," Marinette whispered, a note of sadness creeping into her voice. Her eyes were still glued to the disturbed snowy patch in front of them even though the children had run off a few seconds ago. She looked so lost.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course!" she exclaimed turning toward him with a pasted on smile. It wasn't real. Did she think he couldn't tell? "Please go on," she said, gesturing for him to continue.

He hesitated. This wasn't going the way he had hoped. She seemed resigned. Was she tired and losing patience with his repeated confessions? Was she upset that he once again hadn't gotten her message about not being interested? Maybe she was worried that she was going to have to push him away again, hurting them both.

"If this is upsetting you," he started softly. His fingers digging into the wooden bench with an iron grip was the only thing giving away his anxiety. "If you don't want to hear it… I can stop."

"No, it's okay!" she insisted, peeling his fingers from the bench and enveloping them into her small soft hand. "I want you to be able to tell me anything! I will always be here for you, Adrien. Please don't hold back."

The blond collected the bits of his remaining courage. He was going to go for it this one last time. If she said no, he would work as hard as he could to get over her, so that he could become whatever she needed him to be.

"Well, I was kind've a jerk to her. I was so enthusiastic about how _I_ felt that I didn't stop to think about how _she_ felt. I confessed to her and she said no. But I didn't really believe that she wasn't interested, so I kept flirting with her. I was convinced that she would eventually see the light!"

Her hand went slack in his grip.

"I didn't respect her no and I confessed again later and I think I just made her angry. She's under a ton of pressure, and I'm scared that I just added to it by not respecting her feelings."

"So is this just a pattern of behavior with you? You treat all girls this way?" she asked hotly, dropping his hand onto the bench. Her blue eyes which had been so open and soft these last few days were suddenly as hard and cold as ice.

"I…" he started, completely panicked at her sudden anger. "No? Mari, I only ever had eyes for one girl."

Her eyes widened and stared at him. He fidgeted under her gaze, feeling like a bug trapped under a jar. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but then closed again.

"Marinette?" he prompted, unable to stand the silence for a second later.

She cleared her throat. "Only one?" she asked, her voice cracked. "Y-you confessed more than once, only to one girl?"

He smiled. Had she thought he was talking about someone else? He took her hand and squeezed it. "Only one."

"Oh." Overblown blue eyes pierced into his own.

"Yeah," he agreed awkwardly, his free hand getting tangled in the blue scarf wrapped around his neck.

"What about Kagami?" she asked.

The question threw him. And then his brain screeched to a horrified hault. Oh god, he had asked her - Ladybug - the love of his life - Marinette - to help with his date with Kagami! _Why_ had he done _that_?!

"An attempt to get over this other girl," he told her quickly. "It didn't work."

"A girl you work with?" she asked again.

Adrien had learned long ago to be patient with Marinette when she was lost in a spiral. He held her hand and just trusted that they would get through it together. "Yes, an amazing girl I've worked with for a long time now. My partner."

"_Oh_."

She looked so shocked, her mouth hung open in a little "o". Adrien grinned from ear to ear now confident they were on the same page.

"So, here's the thing," he spoke softly, leaning forward into her space letting her face take up almost his entire field of view. Their noses were only centimeters apart. He could feel the warmth of her breath and count the freckles on her nose. "I see a whole new side to this girl, and I'm more in love with her than ever before." Her eyes were _so_ blue and almost comically wide.

"Y-You are?" she stammered. "You weren't…" she looked down into her hands. "I don't know... d-disappointed?"

"Disappointed in what?" he asked, having no clue what she could be talking about.

"Uh… when you found out that your… uh… l-love had a whole other side. I thought you might be disappointed and not interested in dating her anymore."

Adrien felt his stomach twist in horror. He tried to think back to everything he had done or said since he learned of her alter ego that could have given her any doubt about his feelings. But he came up dry.

"Why would you think I was disappointed?" He finally asked.

"I… you stopped…" she shoved her hands over her mouth. "I can't explain it!" She was bumping into things they couldn't say. God, he wanted to scream. They were so close! But even now, they couldn't be completely honest with one another.

He forced himself to take in another breath of icy air. He could at least reassure her that he had never been disappointed.

"Mari, I was ecstatic. To have two…" he trailed off suddenly realizing he couldn't say what he wanted to either. He wanted to tell her that his two favorite people had become one magnificent and amazing part of his life. That he could share all of himself with someone for the first time ever. "Let's just say, these last nine days have been the absolute best in my life."

Her face flushed with the color of newly bloomed pink spring flowers. She glowed in the winter white park. "So… uh… w-why are you more in love with her now? More than you were before, I mean?"

He smiled softly at the return of awkward Marinette. He loved their new dynamic, but he definitely had missed this side of her. He held both her hands and looked straight into her eyes, trying not to drown in their swirling depths.

"She's more human now. She has flaws and struggles. Her accomplishments are only more impressive because of all she has to juggle and manage and overcome. I look up to her. And she makes me feel seen and understood and that I have something of value to offer her."

"So, what's the problem then?" Her voice squeaked, as she peeked another look up at his face.

"I don't want her to think that I don't respect what she's said to me in the past by asking her out again." His green eyes held her own. Only his sweaty palms betrayed his nerves.

"Oh," she said softly. And then she smiled brilliantly. "Then, m-maybe, you should let her make the first move."

"Do you think she'll ever see me in a romantic light?"

"Without knowing who this girl is, how would I know?" she deflected, but her blush gave her away.

"I just was curious what you thought."

"I think that anyone who doesn't see you in a romantic light is certifiably insane," she whispered.

His whole face burned and he forgot how to breathe. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? He almost kissed her, but he remembered Plagg was there. Tikki probably was too. Plus, she had just said to let the girl make the first move.

He forced himself to lean back and smile, taking joy in the fact that her fingers had found their way to his once again. He could be patient. He could prove to her that he could respect her wishes. Whatever they happened to be. Because she was worth it.

"Seriously, just give me a name and I will beat her up if she hurts you ever again," Marinette shared. Her eyes were shining with the righteousness he always saw in his lady. How had he ever missed that they were the same person?

He started to giggle hysterically.

She glared at him. "I'm serious," she insisted. "She would deserve it for being such a blind idiot."

"Hey!" he objected, tightening his hold on her hand. "She's not an idiot."

Plagg snorted in his jacket. Adrien coughed and thumped his chest to cover the sound.

"Excuse me," he croaked, and cleared his throat. "She's not an idiot," he said again. "She was only ever patient and understanding, even if I didn't understand it at the time."

Unlike him. He had been the one to act entitled and dismissive of what she said she felt.

"Hey," she said gently, her thumb stroking the top of his own. "It's okay."

He looked up at her, and she was grinning. Her smile was so warm he could feel it heating his own cheeks and soothing his racing heart.

He didn't think he would ever get used to this.

And he wasn't sure he wanted to.

…

Alya wanted to pull her hair out! Or maybe she needed to scream. Or really, she wanted to shake her best friend by the shoulders and demand the girl explain what the hell was going on.

_First_, Marinette had been acting whole new levels of strange around Adrien. Her painful bouts of nervousness had evaporated overnight. And then, not only was Marinette constructing full and complete sentences in front of her crush, but she was _flirting_ with him. Like throwing compliments and puns at him. _Puns!_ Alya would never have predicted that would work on anyone, let alone Adrien, but the boy could _not_ handle it. Marinette had successfully rendered the blond model speechless. Her girl suddenly had _game!_ And Alya honestly, couldn't be more proud.

But she was baffled. _Completely._ Like how had Marinette gone from zero to sixty so fast? What had she dreamed about that night to cause everything to change?

When Alya had asked about it, her friend had laughed. "I just realized that he's a total dork. There's absolutely no reason to be nervous."

It had been hilarious how quickly Adrien had turned to mush once he was privileged enough to see the real Mari up close and personal. The boy couldn't keep his eyes off her, he had no ability to focus on anything (certainly, not on helping Alya with her physics homework), and goodness he turned as red as a Ladybug's suit whenever Marinette so much as smiled at him. Really Adrien hadn't stood a chance! He was clearly beyond smitten. And Alya loved all of that.

But then, Alya arrived at school to find that her friends' dynamic had flipped on its head _again_. She was seriously starting to suspect they had been replaced by aliens. Alya's head was spinning like a hamster wheel trying to keep up. Adrien and Marinette had come to school after hanging out alone together exactly _once_, with dozens of inside jokes, incredibly comfortable invading one another's personal space, and it appeared they were having whole conversations with just their eyes.

It was almost like they had been dating for years and just realized it two weeks ago.

But that was crazy.

And _that_ was the worst part. She had _thought_ that with this sudden new familiar dynamic, they had clearly hooked up. But when she asked them about it, they both insisted they were _just friends_.

Like hell they were!

Nino was no help at all. After her rant to him about it, he shrugged and told her to let their friends work it out.

"But _Nino_! They're crazy about each other. They could be happy! Why won't they just be happy?"

He pulled her against him, clearly understanding exactly how agitated she was. She sighed and made herself relax against his form. He always grounded her. She loved that about him. "I don't know babe," he said calmly. "They have to figure it out. We can't do it for them."

"Why not?" she whined.

He laughed.

She shoved off of him, determined to show him.

She cornered Adrien first since Marinette had been particularly stubborn about sharing anything regarding her newfound intimacy with their mutual friend.

He was writing an essay in the library during a free period. She ignored the textbooks sprawled out around him and loudly pulled up a chair right at the side of the table.

"So Adrien…?" she prompted when he didn't immediately look up.

"Yes?" he said absently, his gaze still focused on the sentence he was putting to paper.

"I couldn't help but notice you've been staring at my girl."

That got his attention. "Umm... who?" His green eyes were the personification of childlike innocence. She wasn't buying it.

"Marinette!" she hissed in exasperation.

He turned as pink as Rose Lavillant's wardrobe. "Y-yeah..." he admitted, leaning back with an arm rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

She blinked at him stupidly for a minute, surprised that he had admitted it so readily. She had anticipated a long battle against a ridiculous case of denial.

"Well… Why haven't you asked her out?" Alya asked.

He looked away, his cheeks still stained with just a hint of pink. "Umm… because?"

"Because?!" she repeated. "You clearly like her! What are you waiting for? You two are like perfect for each other."

He nodded, twirling his pen between his fingers expertly. "I don't disagree."

"You better not be toying with…" she started to threaten. Then his words registered. "Wait! What?! You _agree_ with me?"

She thought she was going to have to work way harder than that to crack him with all of the 'just a friend' nonsense she had had to endure over the years, especially in this last week.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Alya, I'm totally crazy about her," his eyes were shining like emeralds and his lips were curled upwards in a little smile. "I didn't realize it for a long time, but I honestly think I've had feelings for her for a long time."

Alya was struck by his sincerity in that moment. And maybe for the first time, she truly understood what Marinette meant when she liked Adrien for his ability to be completely genuine.

"So then, why haven't you tried to take the next step?" her voice was barely a whisper.

He turned back to his paper, as if he was going to continue his homework, but she knew he heard her question. "I'm trying to respect her wishes, okay?" he finally said, not meeting her eyes.

And once again, his words made no sense. Marinette definitely had wished on more than one occasion for Adrien Agreste to ask her out. The girl had had dreams and fantasies. She had drawn sketches of their potential future family complete with a pet hamster!

"Huh?"

"She told me to let her make the first move," Adrien admitted.

"What?!" Alya shouted as she launched to her feet, knocking one of Adrien's reference books to the floor.

The cavernous library fell into shocked silence.

The curly haired librarian was the one to break it. "I will remind you for the last time, Ms. Cesaire. This is a library! If you can't keep to an appropriate volume, I will ask you to leave."

Alya held her hands up in surrender. "Yes Madam." The second the older woman's disapproving glare turned back to her work, Alya dived back down into her seat and leaned right up into Adrien's space.

"_Marinette_ said this?" she whispered urgently.

"Yes."

"_My_ Marinette? The one who lives in a bakery and we go to class with?"

"Yes," he said again, this time with a chuckle.

"That _can't_ be right!" she whisper yelled. She leaned back in her chair, letting her head fall back and her gaze turn to the paneled ceiling for answers.

"You have more insight on the situation than I do, I'm sure."

But Alya didn't. She was completely baffled. And she _hated_ it.

"But… I don't understand," she whispered to the ceiling.

He laughed. "That makes two of us. She and I had a really good conversation like… a week ago? I… told her how I felt. She seemed happy! Like over the moon thrilled. I thought things would progress quickly after that." He shrugged dejectedly. "But…"

"But they didn't," she filled in for him.

"Yeah… maybe I lost my chance with her a long time ago." His voice sounded so sad, but everything else about his body language was carefully neutral. Even his eyes remained calm.

His ability to control his emotions bothered her. It had to be his model training or something.

Because her own heart was breaking. How could Marinette do this to him? It would be one thing if she didn't feel the same way, but the girl had been pining for him for freaking ever!

"Adrien," she said softly and waited until he was looking up at her once again. "I probably shouldn't say this."

The shift in his face was subtle. But she had been looking for it. His eyes were shining with such hope. She sighed. Best friend's code didn't allow her to give him much.

"I don't know what's going on, but I promise I will get to the bottom of this!"

He smiled. "Alya, I appreciate you saying that, but you really don't have to do that. Marinette's under a lot of pressure and has a lot going on. Please don't add to her stress or anxiety by pushing."

Alya grinned ear to ear. It was nice to reconfirm that Adrien was worthy of her girl! (Not that she had ever doubted that). But he didn't understand. As Marinette's (future) boyfriend, it was _his_ job to be unconditionally supportive. As Marinette's best friend, Alya's role was different. If she didn't push Marinette, if Alya didn't call her on her bullshit, who would? Alya, of course, expected Marinette to return the favor whenever necessary.

"Awww!" Alya cooed. "You're so cute when you're all protective."

She expected him to blush at her teasing. He did not. He hissed in displeasure at her words. Literally _hissed -_ like an angry cat. She leaned back from his glare.

"I'm _serious!_ I made some mistakes in the past with someone by pushing my feelings onto someone who wasn't receptive."

"I'm not going to force her into anything, Adrien!" Alya snapped back. "I am going to just talk to her."

His eyes softened, and his shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry," he said, "I just… I really want to respect her. It's not just about what I'm feeling. It's about what she's feeling too. I'm not entitled to be with her just because I want us to be together."

He looked up at her then. "And even if she _is_ interested," he continued. "I'm willing to wait until she's ready. She's worth waiting for."

Alya gripped her curls in her fist. "Oh my god! You are _way_ too sweet! I may need you to give Nino lessons!"

The blond frowned. "What? Nino worships the ground you walk on."

"Yeah…" she agreed with a dopey smile of her own. Her chin resting on her hand. "He's pretty great."

She surged to her feet abruptly. "This was a good chat, Adrien," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "We should do this more often. Maybe we'll even be able to make it a double date!"

He grinned. "I would like that."

She left him, more determined than ever to figure out what was going on. Because things couldn't stand like this. She needed her friends to be happy. And they were clearly so close!

But for the rest of the day it seemed almost impossible to get Marinette alone. Adrien was always there. And Alya would have suspected that he was trying to protect her from Alya's interventions except they were _always_ together these days. It didn't even work the next day when Adrien was unexpectedly called away because Marinette disappeared two minutes later!

And admittedly, Alya got distracted trying to chase down an akuma. She missed the action completely by the time she arrived on the scene, but she did obtain some lovely footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir being a little more _friendly_ than the professional working relationship they usually portrayed in public. She was so excited that Ladybug seemed to be softening for the cat.

But Alya was getting sidetracked! She needed to track down her best friend, so Marinette could find happiness with her prince charming too!

The aspiring journalist lucked out when Adrien missed the whole next day for a photoshoot. She found Marinette during lunch sketching in the art classroom.

"Marinette, we need to talk."

Unlike Adrien, Marinette immediately put her pencil down and gave Alya her full and undivided attention. "What's up, Alya?"

"Did you tell Adrien to _not_ ask you out?"

Marinette blushed and looked down into her hands. "Well... not me specifically. We were talking in hypotheticals."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Hypothetically, did you tell Adrien to _not_ ask you out?"

"Yes? I mean, I told him to let the girl make the first move."

"Okay," Alya drawled, pulling at her hair, praying for patience. If Marinette was throwing wrenches into her own love life, there had to be a reason, right? "So why haven't _you_ asked him out, then?! You can't possibly be afraid that he would say no at this point!"

"Yeah, he definitely wouldn't say no..." Marinette agreed softly, her face blushing.

"So, what is going on?"

She looked out the window away from Alya. "Can we not talk about this?"

"I just don't understand. You've liked him since forever! Isn't being together what you wanted?! Three children and a hamster and all that?!"

"I really don't want to talk about this," Marinette said softly. "Can you please drop it?" she begged.

Alya was totally taken aback. Usually Adrien was the one topic Marinette was always willing to talk about. "I'm sorry," Alya said. "I will drop it if you want me to. I just hope you know that I just want you to be happy. And I think you could get everything you say you wanted, if you go for it. I promise not to bring it up again."

They fell into silence. Marinette went back to her drawing. Alya started sliding through her instagram feed, but it couldn't really hold her attention.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," Marinette whispered. 

"You're fine, girl. I'm the one who is sorry. I didn't mean to push. Adrien told me not to."

"You talked to Adrien about this? What did he say?" Marinette asked calmly. Alya was surprised that Marinette wasn't freaking out with eyes bugged out, demanding to know what he thought of her. That's what would have happened a few weeks ago.

"Just that he confessed to you a _week _ago, and that you seemed happy about it," Alya bit out, letting a little of her frustration show.

Marinette's blush resurfaced. "Yeah…"

"How did you manage to keep that to yourself?! I never thought you were that good at keeping secrets."

"I don't have to tell you everything," Marinette said without any heat even as she stayed completely focused on the sketch.

"I never said that you did," Alya agreed sadly.

The two girls fell into silence again. Alya didn't even pretend to get lost in her phone again and instead, she watched as Marinette's charcoal pencil made her sketch come to life. The picture featured Chat Noir sitting on the edge of a rooftop gazing into the city's night skyline with a small smile on his lips. Alya felt captivated as with every pass Mari made, the hero seemed more and more alive even exiled onto the two dimensional plane of paper as he was.

"That's amazing, Marinette!" Alya gushed.

"Thank you."

"Seriously! This is one of the best things I've ever seen you do! You're not even looking at a reference shot. How do you know the details of his suit that well?"

She shrugged. "I just have an eye for clothing, I guess."

Alya laughed. "Right! Of course. Could I commission you to do one for me?"

"Of Chat Noir?"

"Uh… no," Alya blushed. "Maybe one of Carapace?"

Marinette smiled. "I would love to do that. Do you think I should include Rena Rouge?"

"W-why would you include Rena Rouge?" Alya stammered.

Marinette shrugged again. "I just thought they might have a thing for one another. Or maybe I just like to pretend they do in my fanart."

"I guess you could go ahead and include Rena Rouge then. You clearly have a good eye."

"Mhmm," Marinette agreed absently. And Alya watched in amazement as Marinette did something with her eraser that made Chat Noir's eyes just pop off the page.

"Alya?" Marinette spoke into the silence.

"Yeah?"

"About Adrien and I? Things just... changed a lot between us and I'm getting used to the new Adrinette friendship. I really like where we are right now and I don't feel like we need to rush anything."

"Okay," Alya said, not really buying it.

"You don't believe me," Marinette observed looking up at her friend.

"Not really, no. Maybe you want it to be true, but I think it's just an excuse."

Marinette turned away, put her pencil down, and buried her head into her arms.

"What's really going on, Mari?" Alya asked gently. "Please talk to me."

Marinette's shoulders quaked with soft silent sobs. Horrified, Alya threw her arms around her shaking friend.

"I'm scared," Marinette finally admitted through a sniff.

"Scared of what?" Alya traced soothing circles into the petite girl's back. "Of things not working out?"

Marinette shook her head into the table. "No, not that. What if something happens to one of us? What if an akuma targets Adrien and he dies or gets really hurt?"

"That's what Ladybug is for."

Marinette bolted upright and pulled away violently. "What if Ladybug can't fix it?!" Marinette demanded, her eyes wild with intensity.

Alya was tempted to write-off her panic as just normal Marinette spiraling catastrophizing. But her friend was completely distraught. Marinette didn't usually cry during her spirals. She talked too fast, she shook, and she thought of unlikely horrible scenarios one after another. But now, she was coherent, soft spoken, and keenly focused on this one idea. She wasn't spiraling. She was genuinely afraid.

"Marinette," Alya soothed. "You're right. Something could happen. There are never any guarantees. That's kinda why I think you should go for it. Imagine something _did_ happen to Adrien. How would you feel about never telling him how you feel then?"

Marinette's eyes widened, and just stared in shock. Alya enveloped Marinette in an embrace again, and was relieved when she relaxed and leaned into her hold.

"When did you get to be so wise?" Marinette finally asked, her voice still hoarse from crying.

"Excuse you! I've _always_ been wise. You just don't listen to me!"

Marinette giggled through her tears. "I always listen to you. You're the bestest best friend."

... 

**A/N:**  
Next time for our final chapter - Ladybug and Chat Noir hang out in the rain, Alya and Nino miss out on a double date, and Tikki and Plagg compare notes.

I have no idea when it will come out.


	4. In the Rain

**A/N: **Only three months later than I wanted it to be! I guess being required to shelter in place is good for some things! I hope you enjoy this last chapter written for the Christmas 2019 ML Secret Santa exchange. This was gifted to Ladybuginettes.

Special thank you to AsuraSantosha for her amazing beta-ing abilities. Her aid and feedback always make my work better and clearer and probably more consistent with canon (though she cares about that more than I do). She also researched what kind of music Nino likes for me. Yay for instagram! Haha!

**Chapter 4: In the Rain**

Ladybug and Chat Noir were out for a normal patrol. These mundane patrols had always been Adrien's favorite part of his week. Vaulting over rooftops with no expectations to meet or city to save felt liberating. He felt so free - like he could fly. When he shot upwards with a press of his staff, for a second he felt like he was. The patrols were also time he spent with Ladybug without fearing for her life. Time where they could just hangout, or play a game of tag. But _now_, they were even better. Now, the barriers and secrets between them had almost faded away. And that brought a whole new level of freedom because he could be himself. Only himself, and that was enough.

The sky had been overcast, but the weather report had promised it wouldn't rain. They were halfway across the Parisian skyline when that prediction proved completely false. And it wasn't a light drizzle that Chat Noir could push himself through. In one moment, the air had been clear, and the next, the sky had opened and a deluge poured down around them like a waterfall.

His feline ears flattened against his now soaked blond hair in displeasure. While transformed, few things were worse than rain. He cursed the blasted feline traits that had a tendency to bleed over into his very human life.

Ladybug's laughter hit him from behind. Usually, he loved the sound, but at the moment it was entirely at his expense. He turned a grumpy frown in her direction.

"It'll be okay, kitty," she reassured, and then pointed at the tall building up ahead. "Over there. Follow me?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Anything he had to say would probably come out as a hiss in this atrocious weather.

She leapt away, swinging on her yoyo and he was quick to follow her path. He settled down next to her with their backs pressed up against a cold stucco wall under a third story rafter. It was a good spot. They had an expansive view of the city before them, but the roof sloped slightly away so the area stayed dry. Better yet, it was secluded between two other taller buildings without windows. So hopefully, others couldn't see them well from the street or from other windows.

"Lucky charm," she whispered. A red and black towel fell into her hands and she offered it to him with a smile.

"Tikki's being surprisingly straightforward for once," he commented.

"I have found that outside of battle, the charm is usually more straightforward."

"That must be nice," he muttered as he rubbed the towel through his hair. Cataclysm had few practical applications in his opinion though Plagg insisted he just wasn't being creative enough.

With the help of the towel, Chat Noir was able to get dry enough that he lost the desire to arch and bristle. He kept at it until Ladybug dropped down to one spot anyway. At that time, he handed her back the towel and closed his eyes. He felt the buzz of her transformation drop and saw the flash of pink that said her transformation was down through his eyelids. He resented the need to keep his eyes closed, but Tikki was there.

"Hello Chat Noir," the high-pitched voice greeted.

"Hi Tikki," he said, still keeping his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry you got caught in this storm, Chat Noir," the kwami said with genuine sympathy. "Perhaps your luck has been too good lately, and as the holder of the black cat you needed some bad luck to balance things out."

"I have felt pretty lucky lately," the part time superhero admitted. And if the cost of that was getting caught out in the rain, he would take on a hundred thunderstorms.

"I'm so glad! You deserve it as you've been very sweet to my chosen these past few weeks. She hasn't been able to talk about anything else!"

"Tikki!" Marinette hissed.

Adrien laughed. It was nice to know that Plagg wasn't the only kwami to give his chosen grief.

"I'm flattered."

"I will give her back to you so you can open your eyes. Please tell Plagg that I say hello."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted."

"Not that he'll admit it!" Tikki shot back.

Adrien smiled. It was clear that Tikki and Plagg knew each other well even though he had never actually seen them interact.

The buzz along his skin told him Marinette was transforming back.

"Okay, you can open your eyes again. Thank you for your patience."

"Anytime." He opened his eyes to take in her smile.

Then she turned towards the rain. He followed her line of sight. Pounding water droplets hit the rooftops and ground with such force they bounced upwards again, softening the Parisian skyline. Even the street lamps had a glowing aura about them.

He leaned his head back on the cold rough surface of the wall behind them and let his eyes fall closed. The rain was rhythmic and soothing like a cat's purr. He sighed in contentment. Adrien could appreciate the precipitation more when it wasn't falling on him and when he was sitting side by side with his lady.

He opened his eyes and glanced towards Ladybug. She stared out with a small satisfied smile on her face. Flickering lights from the street were reflected on the rain drops that still sat on her cheeks. She hadn't used the towel herself, determined to give him all the time her miraculous would allow.

She had never looked so gorgeous.

And he didn't mean physically, though she was that too. She was just a beautiful human being. One that found beauty in everything, even the rain.

He tried to stamp out his line of thinking. She knew how he felt, and nothing had happened. She probably was still in love with whoever it was she had a crush on. He needed to get over her before he ruined everything between them.

She glanced at him and her smile widened. He smiled back feeling completely at peace. Even if they were never together, he got to share this moment with her. No one else could have patrols or flying over the city with her. Chat Noir would always be special to her, and he was honestly happier than he had ever been in his life since they figured each other out.

_This_, whatever _this_ now was, wasn't all he wanted, but it was enough.

"I love the rain," Ladybug commented, breaking the silence.

He looked at her in surprise. He hadn't known that before. Ladybug had never mentioned it.

"I fell in love in the rain."

Oh.

If Adrien could have curled up and disappeared into his cat suit, he would have. He had always wanted to know the mystery of the boy she had a crush on, but now, he didn't. No doubt, he'd at least know this idiot boy. And he didn't want any jealousy to sour his relationship with Marinette on either side of the mask.

"Tell me about it?" he asked like a masochist that couldn't help himself.

She smiled fondly into the torrents of rain, as if she was remembering something. "Initially, I didn't like him at all. I thought he had set up a prank trying to embarrass me. I thought he was just like another classmate I knew who had tormented me for years. I yelled at him and never gave him the chance to explain."

Who could she be talking about? That hardly narrowed down the list at all. He had witnessed firsthand that Marinette had delivered the axe down onto several of their peers when she felt they had done wrong to her or to those she loved.

"And then the next day after school, he apologized," she continued.

"Seems like the right thing to do if he tried to embarrass you."

"See, that's just it. He hadn't tried to embarrass me. I just _thought_ that he had. He had actually been trying to undo the prank that was being played on me." She turned to him then and stared right at him. "So, the first day I met him, he had been trying to protect me even though he didn't know me, and I _yelled_ at him for it.

Adrien took in every impassioned word because it was important to her, and therefore it had to be important to him no matter how painful.

"And then," she continued, "he apologized for upsetting me, for giving me the wrong impression. I remember being struck by the complete sincerity in his eyes. I don't think I have ever met someone so genuine before or since.

"And then, before I could accept his apology, he offered me his umbrella so that I would stay dry."

He stared at her in shock. He needed to breathe, but his lungs weren't moving. The whole world faded from his senses.

Because he could see it too.

Marinette standing in front of him, her blue eyes wide as she stared at his proffered umbrella. Paris behind her blurred with the pouring down rain. Their hands had touched for just a second. That had been a precious moment for him as well, because that was the moment he knew that they were friends.

Chat Noir looked up at that moment to see Marinette again, this time decked out in the glory of Ladybug's suit, those same blue eyes that were currently lost in her own memory of that day. Her cheeks flushed with just the slightest pink even as they were framed with her dripping wet pigtails that were plastered to her face.

"It was like he was trying to protect me all over again," she confided. "Even though as far as he knew, I was still mad and didn't believe him. Our hands touched in that moment, and after that I was totally lost. It took years before I could utter complete sentences in front of him consistently."

His eyes burned. He had too many feelings. He wanted sob at the needless self-doubt that had plagued him for so long, to cry in glee that everything had aligned so perfectly, to shout his euphoria from the rooftops.

Because she had loved him all along.

That was why she had always been so nervous around him as Adrien. She was awkward because she _liked _him. He had always worried he was doing something wrong, but it was because he was doing something _right_!

"A-are you okay?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern.

He nodded, unable to form words around the emotion lodged in this throat. He held up a finger to ask for a minute. He needed to get a hold of himself because he was about to cry. He took a deep breath and turned back to her glassy eyes, realizing that she was going to cry too.

He laughed, even as the first tear escaped. "I'm _way_ more than okay. I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah, I can tell," she commented, a gloved finger wiping the tear from his cheek gently. She smiled brightly at him.

And that familiar expression helped some of the heaviness dissipate, leaving only giddy lightness behind. "Tell me more," he asked with a huge grin, wiping the last of his tears away.

She blushed. "Honestly, there's not a whole lot else to tell. I watched him a lot because I couldn't manage words. I was a bit obsessive and I've done quite a few things I'm not proud of in the name of this crush."

"Yeah?" he prompted, a smirk blooming across his face. He honestly loved that her affections were strong enough to push _Ladybug_ into breaking rules. "Like what?"

She glanced away. He could practically feel the heat radiating from her face. "I think the w-worst thing I ever did was s-steal his phone."

He stared at her, baffled. When he said nothing, she pulled her knees up to her chest. He realized she was panicking.

"Why?" he made himself ask.

"I left an embarrassing voicemail. It started with stuttering nonsense. Then I thought it was over, but apparently, Al… my best friend left it going, and I may have confessed my crush on him and called yo- I mean, _him_, a ridiculous pet name."

He couldn't hold back the grin that split his face. He could picture the scene so clearly. Alya and Marinette up in Marinette's room. Alya trying to meddle as she apparently did all the time. He wished he could hear it now, though he was glad he hadn't heard it at the time. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted to Marinette's interest when he was so caught in his own feelings for Ladybug. "What was the pet name?"

"H-hot stuff," she admitted.

He smirked. He had always told her that she'd find his unmasked face irresistible.

"Stop it!" she scolded, as she swatted his arm playfully.

"Stop what?"

"Looking so pleased with yourself!"

He bit his lip, trying not to laugh. The strategy proved unsuccessful.

"Chaaaat," she whined.

"What else did you do?" He asked with a grin. Now that he had no reason to fear the identity of her crush, he was completely over the moon. He had no reason to hold his curiosity at bay. He wanted to know everything. Every tiny little gift or attempt at a confession. Every embarrassing misstep if she was willing to share. Because even her mistakes were adorable, and made him love her more if that was possible.

"I have his schedule on my wall."

"What?" he said flatly. And then grinned again. She was never going to stop surprising him.

"I probably know it better than he does."

He didn't disagree. He had no clue what his schedule was. That was what Nathalie was for.

"Why?" he asked. It didn't bother him, so much as he couldn't fathom a reason for it.

She shrugged. "It made me feel like there was a possibility of running into him during the day to tell him how I felt."

"Why didn't you?"

"For the longest time, I was so nervous around him. Completely tongue-tied. I almost always embarrassed myself horribly before I ever managed to confess any feelings. Other times, I ran away before I could horribly embarrass myself."

"I bet he thought you were cute," he countered.

She blushed. "You think so?"

"It's what I would have thought," he assured her, turning towards the rain again, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Do you think I should go for it?" she asked.

Adrien scoffed from inside his cat suit. "If he turns you down, he's an idiot." And he had been an idiot for long enough.

"He's an attractive idiot," she teased.

He grinned again. "Oh? Should I be jealous?"

She smiled in smug amusement. "Super jealous! Did I tell you he's a model?"

"Uh oh. You'd better be careful, LB. I hear models can be rather self-absorbed."

"He's not like that!" she objected.

"He's not?" Chat whispered, all bravado evaporating from his voice. Raw naked vulnerability took its place. "You don't think he's selfish at all?"

Startled blue eyes flew towards his.

"No, not at all," she insisted immediately without even a second of hesitation.

Adrien looked away back toward the falling rain. The falling water felt ominous and heavy again. "Maybe you don't know him that well."

Her hand rested gently on top of his own. "I mean, I've watched him sacrifice himself for the benefit of others so many times. He's put himself in harm's way for me countless times. I think that's pretty selfless."

"I think he just doesn't know how to live without you," he countered, staring up at the rafters above them.

"Chat, look at me."

He did as requested. I could never deny her anything.

"Wanting something for yourself doesn't mean that you're selfish. Being selfish is more like taking what you want without considering anyone else. He's like the exact opposite of that. He takes everyone into account first. He doesn't think of himself often enough. I told you, I fell in love with him because he was kind, because he always goes out of his way to protect others. He's able to see the potential for good in others even when _I_ struggle. He's just _that_ genuine."

He stared at her, his chest was pounding so loudly his feline senses could hear it over the rain. He wanted to cry again. He had almost given her up. And so all of this was completely unexpected - a shock to his system he was unprepared to take, though he wanted it with every fiber of his being.

"Why did you wait so long to tell me this?" he asked. He had confessed to her days and days ago. When she knew that everything was reciprocated, why had she waited?

She turned away, red from her mask spreading into her cheeks. "I-I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Her blue eyes stared out into the monotony of falling water. "What if something happens to him because he's with me? I mean, if anyone ever found out he was Ladybug's boyfriend, he'd be a target. In some ways, I think he already is one. I don't know how I would ever forgive myself if something happened to him because of me."

He relaxed. Like always, she was keeping secrets to protect those she loved. He never really thought he'd be lucky enough to be on that list. "It wouldn't be your fault. I'm sure if he loves you, he'd be willing to take the risk."

She turned back to him then, her gaze suddenly piercing. "I know he is. But I still struggle with it."

"You're still afraid." He wished she didn't have to be, but as long as Papillion was free, there'd always be a risk.

"I don't think I'll ever not be," she admitted softly.

"So, why didn't you continue to keep your feelings a secret?" He was so glad she changed her mind on this.

"My best friend pointed out that if something happened to him and I never told him how I felt, I would regret that more. And she was right."

He almost laughed. God, he needed to buy Alya a new laptop or something. She had promised she would come through. And she had more than delivered.

"Does she know?" he asked, smiling again.

"That I'm Ladybug?" she shook her head. "No. I think she was baffled by my fear, but she knows that I've liked this boy almost since the day we met. And she's been pushing for me to confess for years. She pushes me and has given me a ton of opportunities, but she also has been so very patient when I didn't take advantage."

"She sounds like a good friend."

"The best!" she squealed. Then she sobered. "I'm kinda glad I didn't confess before now anyway because he didn't really see me before now. And I didn't really see him. Now, we can really see each other."

She let her fingertips touch just the tips of his.

He forgot how to breathe for like the third time that night.

"You're right," he finally managed. "It's better that you're both ready now. I hope it works out for you. I can't imagine that it won't."

She turned back to him, her eyes sparkling in mischief. "What do you think we should do?"

"For what?"

"For our first date!" she squealed excitedly. "What do you think he would like?"

He smiled. "Maybe you should surprise him."

…

Nino bobbed his head in time with the baseline of the lofi remix he had been working on for days. His current version emanated from the headphones resting on his shoulders, but there was something missing from the track. Mendeliev wouldn't let him wear the headphones over his ears in class, but he had learned that if there was a certain amount of bustle and activity, he could get away with listening to the music faintly. He glanced at the clock - there was only two minutes left of the period anyway. He and Adrien had long since finished the lab and cleared away their materials. It was awesome to have a best friend who was so good at science.

The bell rang and there was an immediate flurry of activity as students scrambled to pack up for lunch.

"Nino, I don't know how to tell you this."

Nino immediately swiveled towards his girlfriend's sullen voice. "What's wrong, babe?"

She turned her phone towards him. It took him a moment to realize he was looking at the ten day forecast and then another ten seconds to figure out why that was bad. He tried to suck in his disappointment.

"The concert in the park is going to be rained out," she added unnecessarily.

He hadn't even considered the weather being a problem! It had been clear skies for like ten days in a row! Why did the rain have to return now, of all times?

"Maybe we could exchange our tickets for something else?" she offered. "How about this one?"

"That's no good!" he countered, glancing through his phone calendar. "That's bro time!" he explained, as he offered a playful fistbump to Adrien's shoulder. His friend smiled in response.

"I can always reschedule if you want," Adrien offered.

"No way, dude! Knowing your old man and his witch of an assistant, I won't see you outside these walls for another month if I let you reschedule!"

Adrien laughed. "Fair enough."

Nino noticed at that moment that Marinette had already cleaned up her and Alya's lab, and was standing in front of Adrien's desk, writhing her hands. He grinned, offered her a wink, and started pretending that he was looking for something in his backpack.

"A-Adrien, I was wondering if you wanted to go get some lunch with me?"

"Of course, Mari! Does that sound good to you guys?" Adrien turned towards him and Alya, and Marinette immediately wilted.

Nino shook his head, and pointed his chin back at Marinette. "Dude! I'm sure Mari wants your first date to just be the two of you."

Green eyes went comically wide, and he whirled back to Marinette with a huge grin.

"Date?"

She turned bright red, and nodded with a shy smile.

Adrien's smile extended even further, showing off all his perfect glistening white teeth. "Just tell me when and where Nette."

"How about right now?"

"Let's go!" He offered his hand. She took it and their fingers quickly interlaced. Nino grinned at the sight. He was so happy for both of his friends.

"You kids okay without us?" Adrien asked, turning back to him.

"We're chill, dude!" Nino reassured.

"Go have fun! We'll do a double date sometime later." Alya added. Nino was shocked to see that she wasn't filming the moment. Maybe Marinette had requested her to not make a big deal of anything.

Adrien turned back to Marinette. "So, what're we doing?"

She looked up at him, her eyes dancing, and her free hand fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Adrien still held her other hand. It was sweet. "I-It's a surprise!"

"Well, then lead the way!" Adrien prompted. He flashed a huge grin to Nino and Alya as he grabbed his bag and followed Marinette's gentle tugs to get him out the door faster.

"It's still so weird to see you get nervous," Adrien was saying.

"What are you talking about?" Marinette bantered back easily. "You've seen me a stuttering mess a million times."

"Maybe, but I've also seen you…" Adrien trailed off as the door closed behind them.

Nino stared at the closed door considering their two friends. Alya was right. Adrien and Marinette had become so close so fast, and they had a weird dynamic where sometimes they seemed oddly nervous and other times way too comfortable with each other.

"I still don't really know what happened with them," Alya commented.

"Are you okay with that?" he asked, turning towards her.

She shrugged. "The curiosity is literally burning inside me, but I'll live."

"You're a good friend," he told her as he pulled her against him.

"And a good girlfriend I hope?" she asked with a delighted gleam in her eyes.

"The absolute best girlfriend."

"Good! Because I have something for you," she said, pulling away just slightly to retrieve a flat wrapped parcel from her bag.

He took the gift from her hands. "What's this for?"

She shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Just that I love you and this just kinda fell in my lap. And I thought you would like it. And if you don't, well, you can give it back to me because I _love_ it!"

He tore off the tissue paper, his curiosity piqued. He revealed the charcoaled drawing of Carapace and Rena Rouge. She was leaning in towards him, about to kiss. Carapace was grinning in anticipation with a supportive hand on her waist. The curve of Rena's jawline, her foxtailed hair, her gloved hand laying gently on his chest, the joy in Carapace's eyes were rendered in astounding detail.

"Wow," was all he could think to say. He was going to have to make Alya like the most epic remixed hip hop playlist to say thank you for this.

"I commissioned Marinette actually," Alya explained.

He grinned, his eyes taking in each carefully constructed detail. "If we ever get a place together, this is going up on a wall!"

"Moving in together?! Moving a little fast for a turtle there, aren't you?"

Nino shrugged. "You haven't thought about it?" he countered.

Alya's cheeks darkened, and she glanced away.

He grinned, carefully set Marinette's latest masterpiece on his desk, and then slowly pulled Alya to him with a hand on her waist trying to enact the portrait. Today was looking very up!

**...**

Plagg phased through a park bench, glanced around to be sure no one was around, and floated upward to nestle next to his other half. She currently perched quietly in the naked tree branches. They were somewhat exposed, but anyone looking from a distance would no doubt just see what they expected to see - two birds sitting on a tree branch rather than two kwamis overlooking their chosen.

The two teenagers were sitting side by side on the park's bench eating ice cream despite the freezing temperature. Adrien tipped his tower of cream until it just briefly made contact with Marinette's nose.

She shrieked in objection. And then promptly shoved Adrien's Ladybug themed ice cream back into his own grinning face.

"Aren't they sweet together?" Tikki commented with a deep sigh of contentment, her bulbous eyes sparkling in pure joy at the innocent scene below them.

"Is that why you haven't ratted them out to Fu?" Plagg asked. He wasn't teasing. He needed to know where his partner stood on this.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the kwami of creation said airily, her eyes never straying from the children below who were now lost in a fit of giggles.

Plagg snorted. "Right, and camembert is the worst kind of cheese on this planet."

"I knew you'd see sense eventually!" Tikki squealed, "Would you like to try one of Marinette's macaroons? They come in every flavor you could ever want and every one of them is amazing!"

He gagged.

And then whipped in front of her. "Seriously Sugarcube, you're not going to ruin this for them are you?"

Tikki did the kwami equivalent of a shrug. "Order is important, and rules are necessary to maintain order. But nothing is more important than love, Plagg. Plus, it's really nice to see her get these moments of happiness. She is too young for this burden."

Plagg relaxed, and allowed himself to settle on the branch. Tikki wouldn't say anything. "You always say that."

"It's always true! Plus, they are doing a remarkable job of pretending they don't know."

Plagg laughed. "No, they're not. They're pathetically obvious. I'm shocked that blogger girl hasn't figured it out."

Tikki sighed. "I just mean that they haven't explicitly said it out loud even to one another. And until they do, there is a small sliver of doubt. And I can't ask because if I do, I give it away. So, until one of them actually says something, there's no reason to mention it to Fu."

Plagg grinned. Tikki had a way of rationalizing and twisting the letter of the law into her favor when the spirit of a law didn't suit her. Plagg also suspected that if the kids did completely slip up, she still wouldn't say anything to Fu. She was more likely to pretend she had fallen asleep and missed whatever incriminating thing had been said.

Plagg grinned again and nuzzled up against his other half. "I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking eventually! Rules are made to be broken. Maybe someday you'll even be able to appreciate the amazingness of camembert."

"Keep dreaming, stinky sock!"

…

A/N: Thanks for taking this journey with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Reviews/Comments are love!


End file.
